Apparatus for dispensing deionized water



- Dec. 7, 1965 K. E. M ABEE APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING DEIONIZED WATER Filed July 20, 1964 INVENTOR. KENNETH .E'. MCABEi 0 a s 00 00 a co 00 0 on 0 05n w om minfifl w a 0 00 o o o 0 000 0 0 0 0 a mv o fl 0 0 0 0%%% ll IIIIIIIIIIH FIG. 2

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIYII llll l/IS Arron/n6.

"1:5- ll}ii|||l..l! m M n W a m, w K H w u J n T i. a 0\l V 3 F lllllllllllllllllll IIAPL Q United States Patent F 3,221,859 APIARATUS FGR DISPENSING DEIONIZED WATER Kenneth E. McAbee, 6059 Bollinger Road, San Jose, Calif. Filed July 20, 1964, Ser. No. 383,867 7 Claims. (Cl. 194-3) This invention relates to a water deionizer and more particularly to a coin operated apparatus for dispensing a predetermined quantity of deionized Water upon each operation thereof.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a water deionzer for use in supermarkets, filling stations and other retail outlets for dispensing a predetermined volume of deionized water per unit of price from a source of supply of ordinary tap water.

It is an objective of this invention to provide a system for connection to a conventional city water line for deionizing such water as it flows therefrom.

It is another object of the invention to provide a coin controlled system with a fiow meter whereby to dispense a predetermined volume of deionized water from such system upon the deposit of a coin into a coin controlled flow valve.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a conductivity test in such system to change or stop the flow of water therethrough in the event deionization ceases before replacement of a new cell.

It is still another object to provide a self service system whereby a customer can obtain a fixed quantity of freshly deionized Water in consideration of a price via a coin control device and means for rendering such coin control device inoperative should the deionization of the water fall below a pre-required standard of conductivity.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification in the light of the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for dispensing deionized water.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a system, embodied in the device of FIG. 1 for dispensing metered quantities of deionized water in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram of a control in the system shown in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate various positions of a multi port valve embodied in the present invention.

The apparatus embodying the present invention as shown in perspective in FIG. 1 includes a cabinet or stand 11 having a table 12 uppon which a jug or bottle B may be placed under a spout 13 coming from a system 15 (FIG. 2) confined within the cabinet 11. The cabinet 11 may be provided with a coin slot 16 and a coin release plunger 17 associated therewith for setting the system 15 into operation.

The system 15 as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 2 comprises an inlet pipe 18 adapted to be connected to a conventional supply of ordinary tap water. This pipe 18 is in communication with the inlet end of a deionizer 20 consisting of a mixed bed ion exchanger confined in a tank 21. The discharge side of the tank 21 is connected via a pipe 22 to a metering device 23 operatively associated with the coin control plunger 17 whereby to allow a predetermined volume of water to flow from the system 15 into the spout 13 for discharge into a suitable container such as a jug or bottle B as illustrated.

The metering device 23 may be of any Well known design such as, for example, as described in U.S. Patent No. 2,358,268 which issued to Van Der Plas on Sep- 3,221,859 Patented Dec. 7, 1965 ice tember 12, 1944. In other words upon insertion of a coin of proper denomination into the coin slot 16, the coin becomes coupled with the plunger 17 to open a valve normally closed by a spring loaded release mechanism R. When this valve is opened it allows flow of the water through the metering device M. The flow of the water drives a paddle P in the metering device to turn a timer T. After a predetermined volume of water say one gallon, has passed the paddle P the timer T is set to release the spring loaded release mechanism R which automatically closes the valve V. Thus a predetermined volume of water is deionized as it passes through the system 15 and is dispensed at the spout 13.

The present invention entails a control in the system 15 for assuring deionization of the tap water and for rendering the coin control valve inoperative in the event the system fails to deionize the water to a predetermined standard.

The control means consists of an electrical circuit 30 (FIG. 3) including a dip cell 31 having two electrodes 32 and 33 disposed to extend into the pipe 22 for taking a conductivity test of the deionized water; a potentiometer 34 for setting the sensitivity of the current flow; a relay 35 operated by the current flow, and a positioning motor 36 by which to control the operation of the system.

The motor 36 is of any well known variety geared to turn a multi ported valve 40 a quarter of a revolution on each operation for changing the flow of the incoming water from a depleted deionizer 20 to that of a fresh standby tank 21' similar thereto. As best seen in FIG. 2 the two tanks 21 and 21' are disposed to be arranged parallel to each other within the cabinet 11. Each of these tanks 21 and 21' is provided with a quick connect coupler at top and bottom so as to be quickly and easily replaced by a service man. Valves 42, 43, 44 and 45 are also arranged in take off and discharge pipes 46-46 and 4747'. A suitable hand operated valve 50 is provided in the tap water supply pipe 18 for shutting off the flow of water into the entire system 15.

The multi port valve 40 is arranged in the inlet pip 18 just above the tank 21 and has its ports set as illustrated in FIG. 4 to conduct tap water from the pipe 18 into the take-01f pipe 46. When the valves 50, 42 and 44 are open the tap water flows through the tank 21 and is deionized as it flows into the pipe 22.

As long as the deionized Water passing the dip cell 31 has a high resistance, i.e. a low conductivity rate electrically, the control means remains undisturbed. However, should the mineral contents of the water rise to a greater degree of conductivity such minerals efiect transmission of current between the two electrodes 32 and 33 of the dip cell 31.

The sensitivity of the dip cell 31 to conductivity of the mineral content of the water is set by the potentiometer 34. The settings on the potentiometer are preferably between 100,000 ohms resistance to 50,000 ohms resistance. With the needle on the potentiometer set at about 75,000 ohms resistance, should the mineral content in the water drop below a conductivity having such resistance, any additional water entering the system before change over or blocking of the coin slot will have at least a 50,000 ohms resistance within the time it would take the timer T to shut off the valve V in the metering device M.

However, With the reserve tank 21 standing by, the multi port valve 40 is first moved from the position shown in FIG. 4 to that of FIG. 5. In this manner the port to the used tank 21 is cut off and the tap water will now flow via the inlet pipe 18, valve 43 and take off pipe 46' into and through the reserve tank 21'. In this manner the mineral content of the deionized water in pipe 22 will again drop to a degree affording higher resistance to conductivity between the electrodes 32 and 33 of the dip cell 31. The system 15 will then continue to operate either until the deionizer tanks are replaced by the service man or until the conductivity of the water rises to a degree sufficient to complete a circuit across the two poles 3233 of the dip cell whereupon the relay 35 is excited and the next successive operation of the motor 36 effected.

Upon the third operation of the motor 36 the valve 40 is changed to a position as shown in FIG. 3 wherein supply of tap water from the pipe 18 is cut off. At the same time a switch arm 50 moved by the motor 36 makes contact with a contact point 51 leading to a solenoid coil 52. This forces the armature 53 of the solenoid into the coin slot to block the same against admitting another coin.

The apparatus is thus rendered inoperative to accept coin until the system has been serviced by removal of depleted deionizer tanks 21-21 and replacement of fresh tanks of like kind. Thereafter the positioning motor 36 is reset to position the valve 40 as shown in FIG. 4. This de-energizes the coil 52 of the coin slot blocking solenoid so that the system 15 can again operate upon deposit of a proper coin.

While I have described the apparatus for dispensing deionized water of the present invention in specific detail it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the device may be susceptible to modification, variation and/r alteration without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore desire to avail myself of all modifications, variations and/or alterations as may fairly come within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a source of tap water and a mixed bed ion exchanger for deionizing such tap water and for dispensing the deionized water via a flow line; a coin controlled flow meter in said flow line for dispensing a metered volume of deionized water therefrom, and means in said flow line between said mixed bed ion exchanger and said coin controlled fiow meter for rendering the latter inoperative when the mineral content of the water in the flow line rises above a predetermined allowable limit comprising a solenoid having a normally retracted plunger adapted to extend into the coin slot of the coin control of said flow meter, an electrical circuit for supplying current to said solenoid, and a dip cell having contact points extending into said flow line for completing said electrical circuit when the mineral content of the water in said flow line reaches a density greater than said predetermined allowable limit.

2. In combination with a source of tap water and a mixed bed ion exchanger for deionizing such tap water and for dispensing the deionized water via a flow line; a coin controlled flow meter in said flow line released for operation by a coin deposited in a coin slot for dispensing a metered volume of deionized Water, and means in said flow line between said mixed bed ion exchanger and said coin controlled flow meter for rendering the latter inoperative when the mineral content of the water in the flow line rises above a predetermined allowable limit comprising a dip cell having spaced electrodes exposed to the -water in said flow line, an electrical circuit embodying said electrodes, at potentiometer in said circuit for setting the sensitivity of current flow through the same, a relay .having a coil in said circuit energized by the current established through said potentiometer according to the mixed bed ion exchangers and a flow line leading therefrom to a discharge spout; the combination therewith of a multi ported valve between said source of tap water and said mixed bed ion exchangers for communicating only one of said mixed bed ion exchangers at a time with said source of tap water and said flow line, a positioning motor drivingly connected to said multi ported valve for turning the latter into a position to change the flow of tap water into the other one of said mixed bed ion exchangers when the first one of said mixed bed ion exchangers is depleted of its ion exchanging capacity, and means for energizing said positioning motor for the purpose aforesaid comprising a dip cell having a pair of separated electrodes exposed in said flow line, an electrical circuit controlled by said dip cell, a relay having a coil in said circuit, a potentiometer in said circuit for setting the sensitivity of the latter to energize the coil of said relay when the mineral content in the water flowing through said flow line reaches a predetermined allowable limit, a second electrical circuit for said positioning motor, and a switch on said relay for completing said second electrical circuit to said positioning motor for turning said multiported valve.

4. In a system for dispensing deionized water including a source of tap water communicable with one or more mixed bed ion exchangers and a flow line leading therefrom to a discharge spout; the combination therewith of a multiported valve between said source of tap water and said mixed bed ion exchangers for controlling the flow of tap water into one or the other or none of said mixed bed ion exchangers, a positioning motor drivingly connected to said multiported valve for turning the latter in stepped positions to change the flow of tap water into only one of said mixed bed ion exchangers and for stopping the flow of tap water when .said mixed bed ion exchangers are depleted of their ion exchanging ability, and means for energizing said positioning motor for the purpose aforesaid comprising a dip cell having a pair of separated electrodes exposed in said fiow line, an electrical circuit controlled by said dip cell, a relay having a coil in said circuit, a potentiometer in said circuit for setting the sensitivity of the latter to energize the coil of said relay when the mineral content in the water flowing through said fiow line reaches a prerequired standard of a conductivity, a second electrical circuit for said positioning motor, and a switch on said relay in said second circuit for completing the circuit to said positioning motor for turning said multiported valve.

5. In a system for deionizing water including a source of tap water communicable with one or more mixed bed ion exchangers and a flow line leading therefrom for dispensing deionized water at a spout; the combination therewith of a multiported valve between said source of tap water and said mixed bed ion exchangers for controlling the fiow of tap water therethrough, a positioning motor drivingly connected to said multiported valve for changing the position thereof when the conductivity of the deionized water rises above a prerequired standard, and means for energizing said positioning motor for the purpose aforesaid comprising an electrical circuit therefore, a relay having a switch operable to complete said circuit, said relay having a coil in a low voltage circuit, a potentiometer in said low voltage circuit for setting the sensitivity of the latter to energize the coil of said relay according to said prerequired standard of conductivity of deionized water, and a dip cell having a pair of separated electrodes acting as a switch in said low voltage circuit and exposed to the water flowing through said flow line for closing said low voltage circuit when the mineral content of the water in the fiow line reaches a predetermined allowable limit.

6. In a coin controlled apparatus for dispensing deionized water including a source of tap water communicable with one or more mixed bed ion exchangers and a fiowline leading therefrom to a discharge spout, and

a coin controlled flow meter in such flow line operable upon deposit of a proper coin into the coin slot of said flow meter; the combination therewith of a multiported valve between said source of tap water and said mixed bed ion exchangers for controlling the flow of tap water into the latter, a positioning motor drivingly connected to said multiported valve for turning the latter in steps to change the flow of tap water into only one of said mixed bed ion exchangers and for stopping the flow of tap water into either of said mixed bed ion exchangers when they are depleted of their ion exchanging capacity, means for energizing said positioning motor for the purpose aforesaid comprising a dip cell having a pair of separated electrodes disposed in said flow line to act as a switch dependent upon the mineral content of the water therein, a low voltage circuit controlled by said dip cell, a relay having a coil in said low voltage circuit, a potentiometer in said low voltage circuit for setting the sensitivity of the latter to energize the coil of said relay when the mineral content in the water in said flow line reaches a predetermined allowable limit, a 110-volt electrical circuit for said positioning motor, and a switch for said 1l0-volt circuit on said relay for completing the circuit to said positioning motor for turning said multiported valve.

7. In a coin controlled apparatus for dispensing deionized water including a source of tap water communicable with one or more mixed bed ion exchangers and a flow line leading therefrom to a discharge spout, and a coin controlled flow meter in such flow line operable upon deposit of a proper coin into the coin slot of said flow motor; the combination therewith of a multiported valve between said source of tap water and said mixed bed ion exchangers for controlling the flow of tap water into the latter, a positioning motor drivingly connected to said multiported valve for turning the latter in steps to change the flow of tap water into only one of said mixed bed ion exchangers and for stopping the flow of tap water into either of said mixed bed ion exchangers when they are depleted of their ion exchanging capacity, means for energizing said positioning motor for the purpose aforesaid comprising a dip cell having a pair of separated electrodes disposed in said flow line to act as a switch dependent upon the mineral content of the water therein, a low voltage circuit controlled by said dip cell, a relay having a coil in said low voltage circuit, a potentiometer in said low voltage circuit for setting the sensitivity of the latter to energize the coil of said relay when the mineral content in the water in said flow line reaches a predetermined allowable limit, a llO-volt electrical circuit for said positioning motor, a switch for said -volt circuit on said relay for completing the circuit to said positioning motor for turning said multiported valve, a solenoid having a coil in said 110-volt circuit and a switch therefore including a switch arm movable by said positioning motor into circuit completing condition when said multiported valve is moved by said positioning motor into a position for stopping the flow of tap water into either of said mixed bed ion exchangers, and a plunger armature on said solenoid adjacent the coin slot of the coin controlled flow meter and movable into said coin slot upon energization of the coil of said solenoid for blocking entrance of a coin into said coin slot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,928,384 9/1933 McCanna 2l025 X 2,358,268 9/1944 Van Der Plas 2222 2,617,510 I l/1952 Little 222-2 X 2,711,995 6/1955 Sard 210--25 3,074,216 l/l963 Loebel.

OTHER REFERENCES Mixed-Bed Deionization, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 730-733.

LOUIS I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Examiner. 

1. IN A COMBINATION WITH A SOURCE OF TAP WATER AND A MIXED BED ION EXCHANGER FOR DEIONIZING SUCH TAP WATER AND FOR DISPENSING THE DEIONIZED WATER IA A FLOW LINE; A COIN CONTROLLED FLOW NETER IN SAID FLOW LINE FOR DISPENSING A METERED VOLUME OF DIONIZED WATER THEREFROM , AND MEANS IN SAID FLOW LINE BETWEEN SAID MIXED BED ION EXCHANGER AND SAID COIN CONTROLLED FLOW METER FOR RENDERING THE LATTER INOPERATIVE WHEN THE MINERAL CONTENT OF THE WATER IN THE FLOW LINE RISES ABOVE A PREDETERMINED ALLOWABLE LIMIT COMPRISING A SOLENOID HAVING A NORMALLY RETRACTED PLUNGER ADAPTED TO EXTEND INTO THE COIN SLOT OF THE COIN CONTROL OF SAID FLOW METER, AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT FOR SUPPLYING CURRENT TO SAID SOLENOID, AND A DIP CELL HAVING CONTACT POINTS EXTENDING INTO SAID FLOW LINE FOR COMPLETING SAID ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT WHEN THE MINERAL CONTENT OF THE WATER IN SAID FLOW LINE REACHES A DENSITY GREATER THEN SAID PREDETERMINED ALLOWABLE LIMIT. 